Mmmmonster
by Gladys L Potter
Summary: Set after Stefan leaves with Klaus. Damon's been researching the web and news to figure out where "animal attacks" and things that would lead him to vampires are, while also trying to make sure Elena is safe. What if Stefan comes back? And Elena turns?
1. Chapter 1

**The Monster Within**

_Elena's POV_

Elena woke up feeling strange. She tried to take in a breath but there was no air to fill her lungs with. All around her was darkness, and dirt fell into her eyes when she opened them. She began to freak out, wondering why she was in a grave. Names, faces flashed through her head: Katherine, Klaus, and of the Salvatore's rivals. She should be dead, but she wasn't. She started to try to claw her way through the mounds of dirt. Elena finally saw a faint ray of light coming through a ever so tiny hole. THis encouraged her to dig even faster. It seeemed like everything was happening very slowly but if she concentrated and watched her hands then they were moving a lot faster than she thought possible. Her throat was aching, she felt like she hadn't had a drink of water in a week. Elena drug herself out of the hole in which someone had placed her body and looked around. She was in a forest, not far from the tomb. Her bodily stiffly started walking towards where she thought the highway to be. As long as she made it to Damon, she would be safe. No one would die, he wouldn't let her hurt any of the people she loved. A sweet, pungent smell wafted to her nose, she could feel the stabbing pain as her fangs ripped out of her gums for the first time. She yelped in pain. THe burning in her throat intensified greatly. Instinct just took over, and she raced, faster than any car or plane could have ever gone, towards the smell. Two park rangers were walking up the steps toward their offices. She pounced on one of them, ripping her teeth into his flesh, letting the sweet liquid pour down her throat, relieving her thirst. She drained him in seconds before tackling the second man, draining him as well. As she came to the realization of what she had done, her eyes filled with tears, and she started sobbing uncontrollably. Her emotions were all over the place. She didn't know what to think, she just ran towards the boarding house. Elena tried to walk through the front door, but was stopped by an invisible barrier. She oculdn't cross it, so she tried ringing the doorbell. Nobody answered. If Damon was here, he would have already sensed her and come running towards her by now. Now that she thought about it, what would be his reaction to her? Would he mistake her for Katherine? Elena hoped that he knew her better than that, to think she would be her doppelganger. But she could only wait and see. She looked herself over, and she was a mess. Dirt and blood was all over her. She HAD to take a shower. Elena couldn't present herself to anyone looking like this. Next thing she knew she was standing outside her front door, she couldn't get in there either though. She rang the doorbell.  
>"Elena? Why didn't you just come in?" Jeremy asked.<br>"I forgot my key, sorry Jer." She replied.  
>The smell of his blood pulsing through his veins wafted to her nostrils, and she held her breath, trembling, trying to keep control.<br>"Well what are you waiting for? Don't just stand out there, come in!" Jeremy said.  
>Elena stepped in, and disappeared up the stairs into her bathroom. SHe quickly took a shower. While she was washing up, she thought to herself, why hadn't Jermey recognized the state I was in? Didn't he know I had been missing? Has he been compelled?<br>She got dressed and grabbed Jermey's phone off the counter, finding Damon's number and quickly dialing it.  
>"What do you want?"<br>"Uhm. Damon...this is Elena..."  
>"Why aren't you using your phone, Elena?" "Well...I don't really know where mine is..."<br>"Hmm well you had best find it. What can I do for you? I assume there is a reason you called."  
>"Yes well...can I just meet you at the Boarding house? It's kind of hard to explain...But just so you know, you might think I'm Katherine...I...well...you see...ARGH I'll just let you see for yourself."<br>"Are you saying...Ok. I'll meet you there in a half hour, I just got a call about what looks like a vampire attack on some park rangers...be careful."  
>Elena hesitated. "Uhh okay. See ya there."<br>She didn't know what to do. How to get herself out of this situation. Her emotions were everywhere, but the main emotion was scared. She didn't remember anything after she had drained the men, what if she got caught? Well Damon could compell the council for her but...she was always trying to get Damon to be the better person, and now look at what she had just done? With tears pouring down her face she ran to the boarding house, and sat on behind a bush by the front door. If anyone drove by they wouldn't be able to see her, unless they were a vampire that is. She thought about how her future might play out now. This all was too much, she couldn't take it. Would it be better to just do what Damon had done back before he had met her? Turn her emotions off, flip the switch? While she was contemplating all this, Damon's car pulled in half an hour later, and she pulled her wild thoughts to a halt. "Why are you sitting out here?" Damon asked.  
>"Because...I haven't been invited in." Elena replied grimly.<br>Damon rushed up to her then, looking her deep in the eyes, and moved his head to where it would rest just by her heart. Had it been beating it would have flown out of her chest. She felt that she didn't need to breathe, but it felt more comfortable to do it, so she inhaled an unsteady breath. "How? And do you know where you were for that whole day and a half you were missing? Do you remember anything at alll? "Nothing. I just woke up in a cramped, dark place. I couldn't breathe, couldn't open my eyes without having dirt falling in them..." Elena paused, took a deep breath, and continued. " I clawed my way through the dirt...and was planning on walking until I found the road. But then I...smelled...something..." Elena could feel her fangs threatening to burst out of her mouth as she remembered the smell, the taste of the sweet liquid.

_Damon's POV_

As Elena was talking, I felt myself sadden at the fact that I hadn't saved her, hadn't kept her safe. I didn't fufill my duty. The duty to my heart that was. I knew if my brother was here he would have been freaking out this entire time, causing this new vampire's emotions to go even more haywire than they already were. When Elena got to talking about the smell, I noticed her eyes darken, veins start to poke out around the top part of her face. She had to have been thinking of blood. There was no other thing on this planet that would have made her start to lose control as much as that luscious fluid. He firmly put his hands on her shoulders, pressing her down to the ground, not allowing any movement from her. "Elena,"  
>She didn't come back to her surroundings, just stood there, all vamped out. He shook her by her shoulders a couple times, and she finally came around. Looking around her, not wanting to look Damon in the eye. He already knew who had killed those rangers at the park. Didn't even need to ask. Compelling the whole council would be a hassel, but Elena was worth it. She was what kept him going, from not being the badder brother. Damon swore she could make his heart beat, he was sure he'd heard it a few times. He knew she wasn't Katherine by this point. She hadn't been able to get in the boarding house, which Katherine had already been invited in. Also, he knew it was Elena for the fact that she had a freckle on her right knee, which her doppelganger did not have. I felt a little guilty for not having been there to keep this kind of thing from happening. I hadn't done my duty to myself, to be the better brohter. To be better than Stefan. I could compell her to see where she was and what happened to her, but I would never do that without her permission. Elena couldn't run to Stefan now that he was with Klaus, she ran to Damon. Just the thought made him smile. He was her safehouse. Back when Stefan was still here, which had only been a few months ago, Damon had stepped aside, let Stefan have her. He wanted Elena to be happy, and if being with his brohter (and as a human) was what she wanted, then she would have it. There was a point in his life in which he wanted to steal Elena from his sibling, but the more he got to know Elena, the more he felt emotion for her. The more he loved her. Of course, he still wanted her to be his (as he had once called her) Princess of Darkness. Stealing her from Stefan and changing her into a vampire had been his goal at one point in life, before he had gotten to know her. Now he was happy he had taken the time to know her, to love her. She would never be like Katherine to him, she was too...opposite. And that was why he loved her. He was determined to make her see that she had feelings for him too, now that his brother was out of the way.<p>

"When was the last time you fed?" Damon asked her, pulling himself out of his thoughts and concentrating on the girl in front of him.  
>"I-I...I think it was around 2 hours ago...I"m not really sure," she stuttered.<p>

I walked into the kitchen, opened the fridge and grabbed a blood bag, making sure to watch her carefully. She should've been launching herself at him by now, in bloodlust for the delicious liquid in his hand. "Do you want to mix it in with anything-" She had lunged across the kitchen and was draining the cup in seconds. Man, this girl had resistance. It took longer than I expected to have her lunging at me. Maybe she had been holding her breath. Elena had to have went somewhere and taken a shower, gotten cleaned up. There was no way from her story that she would have been able to just brush all that mud and crap off herself. He asked her about it, she told him about how she had gotten in, past Jeremy to get home and cleaned up. Elena had been around a human and not ripped his throat open after being changed not 2 hours before. Wow. When I was first changed, I was slaughtering people left and right, I couldn't help it. I had no one to help me along. I had Stefan, but of course he had enjoyed being a vampire back then. He didn't mind killing people. Now of course, they were opposites, but who got the girl in the end? Damon did.

_Elena's POV_

"We're going to have to keep you in the boarding house for about a year until we're sure you can be around humans without harming them..." Damon said. "Only I will get the blood, you can't get it yourself or we won't have any left for the rest of the day yet alone week. I want you to get your life back to normal as soon as possible. I know you'll be miserable here till you get out. And to make sure you stay here, you won't get your daylight ring until I'm sure you won't get loose, rouse suspicion, the normal. You know?

My mind was being overwhelmed. My life had just turned over, in only two days...

"Elena?"

Damon's voice roused me from my ever growing thoughts and questions.

"Look...I know this is a lot to take in...but it's all going to be all right. Being a vampire isn't the worst thing in the world." His eyes were sympathetic, yet with a glint of happiness buried deep down. He had always wanted me to be a vampire, and his alone. Not Stefan's. Now she would be moving in with him, spending time with Damon alone all the time. And to top is all off, she was exactly what he had wanted her to be when he had first met her. Damon's feelings about her being a vampire and wanting to be with her had changed, in fact his entire being had changed. He actually cared about her, she brought the emotions back to him when he had intentionally shut them off. He loved her, and no one else. Elena was his humanity. He was being very understanding about this whole situation, and wouldn't let anything happen to her that would compromise going back to her normal life.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Elena's POV

The burning in my throat was killing me. I felt as if I'd been in a desert and ran out of water 3 days ago. My head was throbbing and I couldn't take anymore. I thought about sneaking downstairs and getting a blood bag from the fridge, but Damon would kill me. He was doing so much for me already. I couldn't let him down. It had been exactly 3 weeks since I had changed. Going on 4.

I wished Stefan would come back, help me. I miss him horribly. But I don't think about him much...I think I might have feelings for Damon. Strong feelings. I, Elena Gilbert, might be in love with him. There. I said it. He had been such a great help, she had come to rely on him more than anyone she ever had in her life. Even more than Stefan...guilt hit her like a ton of bricks. Just thinking of Stefan made her sad. He was out there in the world somewhere, while she was sitting comfortably at home. Klaus was forcing him to embrace his instinct, to drink human blood and become the ripper he used to be. That was back in the 1900's. Elena couldn't stand the thought of what he was doing, there would be articles online, and on the news about the "animal attacks" that were happening everywhere.

She wanted to help him, get him away from Klaus. Wanted the old Stefan back. Maybe after a while he could even control being on human blood. She was learning quickly how to fight the urges. Being around Jeremy and Alaric was easy enough as long as Damon was there. Damon. He brought a sense of calm to her. Even when she was around humans. My face had changed to what I liked to think of it as "the monster look." My veins had popped out all over my face and my fangs had extended. Just from thinking about humans. I didn't even feel the pain of my fangs coming out from beneath my gums anymore. Taking deep breaths, and trying to relax my muscles, I tried to think about something else. I picked up Call of the Wild and began to read. By the time I had finished the book a few hours later, my face was back to normal.

Damon was out picking up new blood bags. He trusted her enough to leave her alone, with the fridge unbolted. She had gained that trust by playing by his rules, and she wasn't about to stop now. However, when she heard the door open and close, she dashed down the stairs. When she saw the plastic bag in his hand, she stood still, and didn't breath. If she didn't inhale, she wouldn't smell it. The burn in her throat wouldn't be as bad.

Damon's POV

I smiled when I saw her pause, and stand quite still. She did this until I had all of the blood in the fridge, and had one packet in my hand. Pouring it into a glass for her, I asked her, "So, what did you do while I was gone? Anything interesting happen?"  
>"Nope," came her reply, and then she drained the glass from its contents and her face changed back to normal.<p>

"Well, let's do something, it'll be dark soon, and then we can go rent a movie."

They just sat around and watched tv for a bit, then left and went to Family Video. I noticed Elena take a deep gulp of air, which I could only assume she would hold throughout the entire time we were in the store. She had to learn to breath in front of humans. It was the only way she would learn, and she had to learn by her mistakes.

"Elena...breathe. You'll never learn how to control it if you don't at least breath around humans..."

"Fine," she muttered under her breath.

Elena's POV

As they walked in the store, she hurried off to the back section of the store, trying to keep her face normal. Trying not to think of the blood pouring, pumping through the heart of the clerk behind the counter of the checkout area. Suddenly a voice sounded in her ear, she hadn't even noticed anyone approach her. She had been so engrossed in trying to calm down.

"Deep breaths..." Damon whispered.

As soon as they got out of the store, Elena let out a relieved sigh. She hadn't killed anyone. Hadn't bit into them, no damage was done.

Damon's POV

Damn, she was making progress, he thought as they drove back to the boarding house. They watched Jumangi, which Elena had picked out, and he had gotten The Other Guys. Normally, he would have gotten something along the lines of horror, but with Elena he had to be careful. Can't have very much blood in the movie to send her on edge.

He wrapped an arm around her and pulled her onto the couch with him. As much as he enjoyed being close to her, he had to keep somewhat of a distance. Her emotions were heightened, and if he confessed his feelings to her with her in this state, he would feel as if he was taking advantage over her. He wanted her when she was back to her old self. He also had to be sure that when Stefan came back in 10 years, that she wouldn't go running back to him. Only a portion of her wasn't enough for Damon. He wanted ALL of her.

Elena's POV

As I sat there on the couch pondering how people get such stupid ideas for movies, I thought about Damon. Mostly about how he always seemed to make her happy, no matter what the situation he could make her smile. She sat, content, snuggling into his shoulder subconsciously and closed her eyes. Soon she was fast asleep. 


	3. Chapter 3

Elena's POV

It's been 2 months since I've turned. With the short time that I've been a vampire, I've controled my blood lust well. At least that's what Damon says. He lets me go outside at night now, as long as I keep my distance from where humans might be. I can only be gone for about 2 or 3 hours though. Hikers tend to get up early. Wouldn't want to risk it. I'm also afraid the sun will rise...and I'll still be outside...

Damon was still being great about this, we'd grown closer. A little too close. I don't want to forget about Stefan, especially when it was because of me that he gave himself up...well he wanted me to have a good life, and if it was with Damon who I was happy with, then oh well. I'll just be happy with Damon. At least I know he'll never leave me. He won't have to now that this curse thing has gone away, and all is back to normal. Except with me being a vampire.

I contemplated all that had happened to me as I strolled through the woods. I was too deep in thought when all of a sudden I felt strong arms grab me by my shoulders and fling me into the nearest tree. There was a huge, deep cracking sound and the tree fell over. Groaning, I got up and noticed a brance had gone through my arm. I looked for my attacker, and Stefan was standing there. Grinning from ear to ear. Gasping, I just starred at him. Too shocked to say anything. I slowly remember the pain and reached over and pulled out the branch. When I looked up, he was beside me, playing with my hair.

"Stefan-"

"Elena,"

Stefan's POV

She was a vampire. Elena. HIS Elena. This was never meant to happen. At first he thought she was Katherine, but they had killed Katherine in New York a month ago. And Elena had that sparkle in her eye, and she still had some of her human qualities. For instance, she still breathed. She moved a little slow. Too trusting of the things around her, and her environment. Now that she was turned, perhaps Klaus would let her come along. Be like them. But he knew Elena would never take to their way of life...if only he could convince her.

Elena's POV

"I've missed you," Stefan said softly.

I took the step that closed the distance between us and wrapped my arms around him. It felt different. Usually I felt safe around him, now I was just...cautious. Could it be because he was an older vampire that was more powerful than me? I had never felt that with Damon. But then again...my feelings for Damon were...but did I not feel that way for Stefan anymore? I guess...I love Damon...but just as a friend...but maybe what with all he's done, I love him more than even friends. Yes. I love Damon.

I stepped back from the embrace with Stefan and looked at him.

"Thank you," I whispered.

"For what? Leaving?"

"No, for everything...you left so I could live a normal life...well as normal as it gets in Mystic Falls anyway." I answered.

"Elena...now that you're a vampire...I want you to come with me. Travel around."

"Stefan...I can't. This is my home. I can't even be around humans more than an hour yet. Maybe once I'm in control more..."

"I could teach you how to keep in control better. Let's start now." Stefan said.

"I don't know..."

I followed him through the forest, until we found some campers. He took my arm and dragged me into the clearing. I didn't want to, for fear I would kill any of them.

"Are you crazy? No, let go of me!" I struggled but we were finally walking into their camp site and the smell wafted through my nostrils. I had to have just a sip. Just a nick in their neck...I took a deep breathe and held it. Trying not to breath, I looked at Stefan as he was sinking his teeth into one of the men. I shrieked, not being able to help it. Starring in horror at what was happening in front of me, all thoughts of blood escaped me. Until the other man stepped out of the tent when he heard me. Before I knew what I was doing, I was ripping into his neck, letting the sweet liquid pouring out of his throat that I had ripped out, and down mine.

Whilest I was doing this, Stefan had just finished off the first man and was starring at me lovingly. When I finished, my eyes widened at what I had just done...I had killed again. Tears streaming down my eyes, I turned to run back to the boarding house, but Stefan was blocking my way.

"I'm sorry, Stefan...I can't live this way."

"Is it because you'd rather be with Damon?"

"No! You know perfectly well why! You may be able to kill and think nothing of it, but I do! And I always will!"

I knew Stefan would think it was Damon sometime or other. He knew there was chemistry between us. This angered him, and he said suddenly, "Well I hope he finds you, because I'm not coming back for you."

With that being said, Stefan walked over to a tree, snapped a branch off and threw it at her. Before she knew it was there, a branch was protruding from her chest and she had fallen to the ground. Writhing in pain, she tried to pull it out, to no avail. It was about 2 inches away from where her non-beating heart lay.

Stefan's POV

Watching her struggling to get up, I left. Running back to where Klaus was. He had said this wouldn't work, but for some reason Stefan just couldn't believe him. That had been idiotic. Klaus was always right. However, he just couldn't find it in him to kill her. He still cared about her even though she didn't want to still be with him.

Elena's POV

I tried to pull my phone out of my pocket, but it jostled my body too much. As I cried out in pain, I finally got my phone out. Calling Damon, I tried to get up, but couldn't.

He answered on the second ring.

"Elena? Where are you, it's going to be daylight soon!"

"Forest...Stefan showed up...I'm near some human's campsite...I can't move..."

"I'm on my way."

As she waited patiently for him to get there, the blood of the deceased men wafted through a silent breeze over to her. Then she heard it, there was a quieter heartbeat inside the tent. Struggling to get away from it, she knew she was weak right now. But the blood might make her pain go away...NO! She thought to herself. She wouldn't take another's life so her life could be easier.

Suddenly Damon was in front of her, his blue eyes swimming in front of her.

"Elena, I'm going to pull it out now, it's going to hurt though."

"Just make the pain stop," she mumbled.

Pain lanced through her chest, and she cried out in pain. As the branch was pulled out, she curled up in a ball and waited for her wound to heal. Silently crying to herself, she starred at a bird's nest in one of the trees. Listening to the quick heart beats of the young fowl, she quietly got up. Still a little out of it, she stumbled a little while walking towards the nest. Damon swooped under her and picked her up, running back to the boarding house. She was curled up in his arms when they walked in.

She explained to Damon all that had happened. He looked on her sadly throughout the whole thing.

Damon's POV

I didn't want to leave her alone after all that had happened today. She fell asleep against my shoulder on the sofa, and I carried her up to my room, tucking her in under the covers. I went and called Ric, informing him that Stefan was back. As I walked back into my bedroom, I climbed under the blankets and she cuddled into my side subconciously. I wrapped my arms around her and soon we were both asleep.

When I woke up, she was still asleep. You'd think with her being a vampire that she wouldn't want to sleep as much, wouldn't need to sleep as much. But Elena was a very...different vampire. Whereas most vampire turned off their feelings, she couldn't. She slept, and acted like a kitten in many ways. But those ways were what made her different from other...beings. He loved her just the way she was, and just watched her sleep as he lay there in the early morning hours, thinking of how much he loved her. 


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

**Elena's POV**

I awoke in Damon's bed, eyes wide, staring around. As much as I tried to forget all that I had dreamt, they stayed imprinted in my mind. The last thing I need was nightmares, let alone the knowledge of how Stefan was now. Dreaming about how he was now and actually being around him was quite different. In dreams I felt rather numb, in real life it hurt like a bitch. My ex-boyfriend and all my problems were still here when I woke up.

I looked down at Damon, he was still asleep. Either that or he was pretending. Who knew with him. Creeping out of bed, down towards the kitchen, I was about to open the fridge for a bag of blood. But the lock was back on it. Maybe he thought I'd break down and use blood; fufill the burn in the back of my throat, if only for a brief time. It would make it easier, if only for a little while. That's exactly what she needed. Some stress relief. (If only for a while.) Tempted to break the lock, I rolled my eyes, and darted upstairs. Damon was leaning against the headboard of the gianormous black-sheeted bed, on the right side. He looked over at me, and gave me a half smile. Silently getting out of bed, he went downstairs. Right on his heel, I followed suit downstairs. The hunger would wait no longer. He got me a bag of blood and I hastily grabbed it. After drinking it, I ran back upstairs to the library. I sat down on the floor by a shelf and started reading the closest thing I could find. _Call of the Wild_. Trying to get my mind to focus on the problems of other people, in this case a dog, and away from thoughts/feelings that I couldn't deal with right now. If I did then I'd have a breakdown. There's been enough breakdowns in the past few months and they don't help anything.

I heard him sit down next to me, but I kept focused on my book.

"What exactly happened last night? I need to know every detail."

I heard him ask. I ignored him, refused to even think about the past 2 days. Or anything that could be linked to Stefan.

"Elena?"

Turning the page in my book, I continued reading. He slid down onto the floor beside me, just reading over my shoulder. It didn't look like I was getting out of this conversation, but I could avoid it and buy myself as much time as possible. After finishing the book at around 9pm that night, I finally stretched, stood, and walked towards the door. Remembering the lock on the fridge, I turned back around and looked at him expectedly. He just stared back at me and remained sitting on the floor. There was no getting out of this; no blood until I talked. This was just cruel. Sighing, I went back and sat in front of him.

"He stabbed me with a tree branch and walked away. There, happy?" I said. "That's not all that happened." He stated. Damon knew me all too well. I was editting.

"No, it's not." I briefly explained all that had been said, and what Stefan's reactions had been to my words. Damon then went and got my dinner. I didn't realize I had started crying whilest I was talking. He wrapped an arm around me and pulled me to the couch. We drank our blood, went back to bed, and just kind of held each other. More of he held me and I clung to him. But were together, none the less. We would just deal with everything else tomorrow.


End file.
